Suchergebnisse

During recent years, relations between the Russian Federation, the European countries & the United States have become strained to the point that they have even involved NATO. Opposing positions of Russia & the United States, in the European sphere, are causing confrontation in the region. Russia has gained strength, as oil & gas prices have remained high during recent years & it is trying to recover its position as an independent, global power, not perhaps within a bi-polar, but rather in a multi-polar order of nations. Divergent interests & goals of the Russian & United States' governments, concerning a European & global security policy, make the conflict-prevention & peace-keeping environment on the continent even more difficult. Adapted from the source document.

Vladimir Putin's diplomacy is a mix of patriotic & nationalistic rhetoric with rational & opportunistic pragmatism ?though no significant contradiction may be said to be in there. The former is aimed basically at Russian citizens & overall internal order, in general, while the latter intends to send a conciliatory message to foreign powers & is mirrored in the foreign management of the Russian state. This somehow paradoxical blend matches perfectly with the goals of the government: to reconcile the society with its complex historical past, with itself & with the external world. Russian diplomacy is aware that the ambition of restoring the space of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is unreal & idealistic, & it therefore focuses its efforts on establishing integration at different levels & speeds, but always having the Central Asian & post-soviet Caucasian regions as main priorities. Russia's foreign policy preserves the major aspects approved since 2000, namely, its relationships with the CIS countries, Europe & the United States. However, in all three cases Russia's practical position has significantly varied, bearing constantly in mind the relevance of merging nationalism & pragmatism elements &, above all, the defense of national interests. Currently, the Russian government feels more confident & strong to act with more autonomy in the international scenario, as a result of the country's boom in terms of growth, a significant increase of foreign investment in Russian economy, & the unconditional support it has at the internal level, despite its authoritarian measures & the increased centralization of power. Adapted from the source document.

Following the reelection of Vladimir Putin in March 2004, many have raised questions on the nature of changes & readjustments that will be implemented to both the domestic & foreign policies of the Russian Federation over the next four years. Concentration of power by the presidential figure will be an ongoing & even stronger trend throughout the second term &, according to supporters of this approach, the purpose is to secure Russian state interests & to reinstate the country in its past status of grand power. Foreign policy must be built according to both national interests & the priority of solving domestic problems, & the need to economize foreign activity. Russia will be capable of protecting its own interests & gaining new allies only insofar as it becomes a strong & autonomous State. Russia will hardly become again the power rod able of counterbalancing the U.S. supremacy; however, it still holds a considerable number of opportunities & sway in several regions of the world, namely the Euro-Asian zone. Adapted from the source document.

This work addresses Russia's relations with one of the two Asian-Pacific powers: the People's Republic of China. The author presents a thorough analysis of Russian-Chinese relations during the last 17 years, with an examination of how relevant these relations have been for Moscow, & of the likelihood of a shift in the world powers correlation. This assessment of current Russian-Chinese relations reveals that they have not been as they should & might have been, for which reason many opportunities have been wasted. Relations since the 1990s have focused mainly on the harmonization of their policies toward the world & within the framework of international organizations, at the cost of issues concerning bilateral economic & trade cooperation. Although relationships between Russia & China may be said to be sound, their mutual convenience & shared interests will keep them together only for a short time. Indeed, their common ambivalence, the priority given to collateral interests, & even caution & distrust make these relations somewhat unpredictable. In the years to come Moscow & Beijing will most likely still be guided by their shared interests & individual priorities. This bilateral relationship has positive connotations, as it furthers the region's security & stability, while promoting economic development. Adapted from the source document.